Gate.



APTENTED MAR. 3,- 1908.

0. E. BROWN.

, GATE. APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 25.1907.

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PATENTE-MAR. a, 1908.

o. B. BROWN.

GATE.

OLIVER E. BROWN, ANDALUSIA, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

No.l 880,624.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed November 25. 1907. Serial No. 403,714.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, OLrvER E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Andalusia, in the county of Rock Island and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, ofwhich the following is a specication, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in gates, and particularly to avertically ,movable gate, which can be easily opened or closed.

The object of the invention is the provision of means for facilitatingthe opening or closing of a gate,

Another object of the invention is the construction of a gate, whichcomprises a minimum number of parts, is comparatively cheap tomanufacture, and eiiicient in o eration.

ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mechanismconstructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a viewin side elevation of my improved mechanism, showing the gate in an oened or raised position. Fig. 3 is a top p an view of the gate whenclosed. Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the gate closed. Fig. 5 is anenlarged, perspective view of the footdevice carried by the lower end ofthe levers.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates parallel posts orvertical members between which the front end of the gate is normallypositioned. The gate is provided with a vertical end standard 3,projecting a considerable distance above the top board or cleat 4, andis also provided with a central or intermediate vertical standard 3'projecting above said board or cleat 4. The standards 3 and 3 areformed, preferably, of parallel sections or pieces or boards which arespaced apart at their upper ends by filling blocks or boards 5, andbolts or rivets 6 not only secure the filling blocks between the boardsor pieces, but also pivotally connect the upper ends of levers 7 to thestandards 3 and 3.

The framework, which may be a part of a fence, comprises posts 8 and 9,and an upper, horizontal beam or board 10 and a lower, horizontal beamor board 11.- The levers means of which fastening means said rest issecured to post 9. By reason of the fact that the rest 15 engages theunder face of the beam or board 10, a very rigid structure is pro duced,as said beam or board constitutes another means for preventing pivotalmovement of the rest upon its fastening means, when the gate issupported upon or strikes' against said rest. e

A pulley-supporting standard 17 is seated in a cut-out portion 18,formed in the upper board or beam 10, and said standard 17 is secured,by any suitable fastening means to said beam or horizontal supportingmember 10. The standard 17 is provided with an overhanging block orlateral extension 19 for holding the hook 2O a sufficient distance toone side of said standard 17 and nearly over the levers whereby theraising of the gate from its closed position through the medium of theflexible member or rope 22 is facilitated the rope 22 being secured,preferably, to a staple or hook 23, carried by the intermediate standard3 and passed through the pulley-block, and its opposite end being ofsuflicient length to permit the operator to easily grasp the rope anddraw downward thereon for swinging the gate upward upon the levers.

I have provided avery simple means for actuating the gate by the foot,and have found, from practical experience that this facilitates theopening and closing of the gate. This means comprises a foot-device(Fig. 5) composed of a piece or block 24, which is provided at its frontend with a bifurcated portion 25, which is provided with horizontalregistering apertures 27. The lower end of the front lever is pivotedwithin the bifurcated portion 25 of the foot-piece or member 24, and abolt or rivet 28 extends through the registering apertures 27 andthrough an aperture formed in the lower end of the lever. The member 24is providedwith a rearwardlyextending foot-engaging extension 28, whichis also provided with horizontal aperture ting the levers to swing backand forth freely,

and at the same time strengthening the footpiece 24. A suitablefastening means, as for instance, a rivet or bolt is passed throughaperture 27 and through the lower end of the rear lever, and pivotallysecures said lever to the foot-piece or member.

I have found from practical experience that the operator can easily opena gate when the same is in the position shown in Fig. 1, and can easilTclose the gate when the same is in the open position shown in Fig. 2, bymerely placing his foot upon the rearward extension 2S and pressing downthereon, the pivots or fastening means 14 constituting the fulcrum ofthe levers, and the leverage obtained by the downward pressure of theoperators foot upon the inner end of the foot-device. The foot-device isalso provided with a spaing guide 31, which may be detachably secured tothe piece 24, and this guide, is, preferably, of substantially the samewidth as the post, so that the same will engage the planks or boards ofthe fence or the framework and thereby prevent the levers 7 fromengaging at their lower ends with the post 9 or any other object. Then,again, if the dirt, or the support engaged by the lower end of the gateis destroyed or washed away, the rear end 31 of the guide will engagethe post 9 and limit the downward movement of the gate beyond its normalposition; the normal position of the gate being ascertained prior to theattachment of the guide block 31 to the piece 24. I also provide adetachable counter-weight 32, for counterbalancing the gate, and therebymaking the opening or closing of the same easy.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have providedtwo means for opening and closing the gate, to wit: the cable orrope andits cooperating parts, and the foot-device and its cooperating parts; ineither instance, the levers perform an important function in theoperation. A person can ride up to the gate on horseback, or drive up tothe same in a vehicle and easily grasp the cable 22 and open or closethe gate; and a pedestrian, or a person on the ground, can operate thegate without touching the cable 22, by merely pressing downward upon thefoot-device.

The fact that the foot-device is always to one side of the fulcrumpoints or pivots 14 of the levers, whether the gate is in an open orclosed position, should not be overlooked, as it is by reason of thepeculiar structure of the foot-piece that the gate can be swung quicklyto different positions.

What I claim is:

1. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with asupport, of levers pivoted intermediate their ends upon said support, agate pivotally connected to the levers near their upper ends, afoot-device pivotally connected to the lower ends of said levers, saidfoot device provided with a weight and a guide member, the guide memberbeing capable of limiting pivotal movement of said levers and gate.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with asupport, of a pair of levers pivoted intermediate their ends upon saidsupport, a gate pivotally supported upon said levers, a foot-devicecomprising a v horizontal piece or block provided with a bifurcatedportion upon one end and provided with a foot-engaging extension uponthe other end, and one of the levers pivotally :mounted in thebifurcated portion, the other lever pivotally secured to thefoot-engaging extension.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with asupport, of levers pivotally mounted upon said support and having theirlower ends positioned above the ground, a gate connected to said leversnear their upper ends, a foot-device comprising a horizontal memberprovided with a bifurcated portion at one end and with arearwardly-extending extension at its opposite end, one of the leverspivotally mounted in the bifurcated portion and the other leverpivotally secured to the extension, and said gate adapted to be swungupon the levers when downward pressure is exerted upon the foot-device.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with aplurality of posts and a horizontal supporting member carried by saidpost, of levers connected intermediate their ends to said supportingmember, the lower ends of said levers supported above the ground, afoot-device provided with a bifurcated portion and with a rearward eX-tension, one of said levers pivotally mounted in the bifurcated portionand the other lever pivotally secured to the extension intermediate itsends, said foot-device provided with a guide, and the guide adapted toretain the levers awayfrom the post and adapted to limit the pivotalmovement of said levers and guide.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a su portprovided with a post, of levers pivota ly connected to said support, agate secured to said levers, a foot-device pivotally secured to thelower ends of said levers,said foot-device provided with a bifurcatedportion formed upon oneV end and with a rearwardly-extendingfootengaging portion at its opposite end, said 'foot-device providedwith a rectangular the combination with a support, of levers pivotallymounted upon said support, a gate pivotally mounted upon the levers nearone end, a foot-piece or member provided with an extension, positionedcontiguous to the opposite end of said levers, and one of said leverspivotally mounted between portions of said piece, the other leverpivotally connected to said extension intermediate' its ends, wherebywhen downward pressure is exerted upon said piece, said gate will beswung upon the support.

7. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a supportabove the ground, of a vertically-movable gate positioned contiguous tosaid support, said gate provided with vertical standards projectingabove the upper portion thereof, a pluralityT of levers pivotedintermediate their ends upon said support, each lever having its upperend positioned in engagement with the upper end of a standard, a boltextending through each lever and standard and connecting said lever tosaid standard, afootdevice having portions engaging the sides of saidlevers below their pivot, and fastening means extending through thelevers and through the engaging portions of said footdevice for securingsaid foot-device to said levers.

8. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a postand a horizontal member secured thereto, of a horizontal rest engagingsaid post below and bearing at its upper edge against the lower portionof said supporting member, fastening means extending through said restand securing the same to said post, said horizontal member assisting inpreventing pivotal movement of said rest upon the post and the fasteningmeans, said rest projecting to one side of said post and terminating atone end in the same horizontal plane in which one side of said post isformed, a vertically-movable gate supported upon said horizontalsupporting member and adapted to swing above and rest upon said rest.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

OLIVER E. BROWN.

Witnesses FRANK BARTON, ERNEST SNELL.

